Trump extends order that curbs Huawei’s access to US market

With a COVID-19 test kit developed by Abbott Labs alongside, President Donald Trump speaks during the daily coronavirus briefing at the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/TNS)

President Donald Trump extended his effort to curb Huawei Technologies Co.’s access to the U.S. market and American suppliers.

The president on Wednesday renewed for a year a national emergency order that restricts Huawei and a second Chinese telecommunications company, ZTE Corp., from selling their equipment in the U.S. The move continues a battle with China over dominance of 5G technology networks.

In the original order, which didn’t name any countries or companies, Trump declared a national emergency relating to threats against information and communications technology and services.

The Commerce Department then put Huawei on its “Entity List,” meaning U.S. companies need a special license to sell products to the Chinese company.

The administration has described Huawei as a security risk. Diplomats have pressed allies to bar Huawei from 5G networks, saying the company is subject to Chinese law that demands cooperation with security services, raising the specter of espionage. Huawei leaders have insisted their company operates independently of the Chinese government and that its products aren’t used for spying.